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  Jerusalem Delivered

  Torquato Tasso

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  Jerusalem Delivered by Torquato Tasso is one of the greatest epic poems of the Italian Renaissance, combining heroic adventure, romance, and spiritual devotion within a grand historical narrative. First published in 1581, this celebrated work recounts the dramatic events of the First Crusade, portraying the struggle for the holy city of Jerusalem through a rich tapestry of warriors, lovers, sorcerers, and legendary heroes.
  
  The poem centers on the Christian army led by the noble commander Godfrey of Bouillon, who is determined to capture Jerusalem and bring the long campaign to victory. As the crusaders march toward their goal, they face powerful enemies, internal conflicts, and supernatural forces that threaten to divide and weaken their cause.
  
  Among the many unforgettable characters is Rinaldo, a brave and passionate knight whose strength and courage make him one of the greatest champions of the crusading forces. His journey becomes one of the poem's most dramatic threads, particularly when he is enchanted by the beautiful sorceress Armida, who seeks to lure him away from his mission. Their complex relationship blends romance, magic, and emotional conflict, adding depth and tension to the epic narrative.
  
  Throughout the poem, Tasso masterfully intertwines numerous stories of love, rivalry, bravery, and sacrifice. Knights battle on the field of war, heroes confront enchanted forests and magical spells, and noble warriors struggle between duty and personal desire. These adventures unfold against the backdrop of the crusaders' ultimate goal—the liberation of Jerusalem.
  
  Tasso's poetry combines the grandeur of classical epics with the emotional richness of Renaissance literature. His vivid imagery, dramatic scenes, and lyrical language create a world filled with heroic courage, spiritual struggle, and imaginative wonder. The poem explores themes such as faith, honor, temptation, redemption, and the tension between passion and duty.
  
  Beyond its thrilling battles and romantic episodes, Jerusalem Delivered reflects the cultural and religious ideals of its time, portraying the crusading campaign as both a historical conflict and a spiritual quest. At the same time, the poem reveals the human emotions and inner struggles that shape the destinies of its characters.
  
  Magnificent in scope and rich in storytelling, Jerusalem Delivered stands as one of the great achievements of Renaissance epic poetry. Torquato Tasso's masterpiece continues to captivate readers with its heroic vision, poetic beauty, and timeless exploration of courage, faith, and love.

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  Man and Boy

  Terence Rattigan

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  'In finance, man makes his own miracles.' 
  Jazz, Broadway and the Great Depression. In 1930s New York City, international financier Gregor Antonescu's luck has finally run out. As news of a catastrophic business deal ripples across the world, he flees to the apartment of his estranged son Basil.
  There, Gregor will need all of his ruthlessness and ingenuity to save his reputation and keep his empire from collapse. But will he risk using his only son as a pawn in one last power play? 
  A sharp and gripping tale of paternity and corruption, Terence Rattigan's play Man and Boy was first performed in London in 1963. This edition was published alongside a revival at the National Theatre, London, in 2026. It features Rattigan's final version of the play, with an authoritative introduction by Rattigan scholar Dan Rebellato and an afterword by Anthony Lau, director of the revival.

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  The Gift of Rumi - Experiencing...

  Emily Jane O’Dell

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  An authentic exploration of the real RumiAs one of the world's most loved poets, Rumi's poems are celebrated for their message of love and their beauty, but too often they are stripped of their mystical and spiritual meanings. The Gift of Rumi offers a new reading of Rumi, contextualizing his work against the broader backdrop of Islamic mysticism and adding a richness and authenticity that is lacking in many Westernized conceptions of his work. Author Emily Jane O'Dell has studied Sufism both academically, in her work and research at Harvard, Columbia, and the American University of Beirut, and in practice, learning from a Mevlevi master and his whirling dervishes in Istanbul. She weaves this expertise throughout The Gift of Rumi, sharing a new vision of Rumi’s classic work.At the heart of Rumi’s mystical poetry is the “religion of love” which transcends all religions. Through his majestic verses of ecstasy and longing, Rumi invites us into the religion of the heart and guides us to our own loving inner essence. The Gifts of Rumi gives us a key to experiencing this profound and powerful invitation, allowing readers to meet the master in a new way.

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  Unfinished Faith - Poems of...

  Elaine Rumboll

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  Unfinished Faith: Poems of Faith, Silence, and the Quiet Work of God is a contemplative poetry audiobook for listeners who encounter God not in certainty, but in stillness, wilderness, and the fragile beauty of ordinary life. 
  Written and narrated by South African poet Elaine Rumboll, this collection invites a slow, attentive way of listening. These poems are shaped by silence, breath, and the long interior work of grace. Faith here is not triumphant or polished. It is tender, stubborn, and luminous — a quiet turning toward God in seasons of doubt, waiting, grief, and becoming. 
  Rumboll writes from the ground level of spiritual life: dust and dusk, longing and prayer, the ache of not knowing, and the quiet astonishment that God may be nearer than we dare to believe. These poems do not rush toward answers. They linger, listen, and make space for what is unfinished. 
  Rooted in the movement from Lent into Easter, the audiobook unfolds in four parts: Becoming Still, Entering the Wilderness, God of the Ordinary, and Returning Light — tracing a faith that is honest, raw, and still forming. 
  The author’s voice is central to the experience. Narrated in a deep, resonant, and unhurried tone, the audiobook is designed to be listened to slowly, poem by poem. Silence is part of the listening. These poems are not meant to be consumed in one sitting, but returned to — during walks, early mornings, evenings of prayer, or seasons of waiting. 
  This audiobook is for listeners who: 
  Seek God in silence rather than certainty 
  Are living through grief, transition, or spiritual unknowing 
  Love poetry that is spacious, reverent, and attentive 
  This is not a book to rush through. 
  It is an audiobook to accompany the slow, necessary journey home.

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  War Is Kind (Collection)

  Stephen Crane

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  Published in 1899, just a year before his death, War Is Kind by Stephen Crane evokes again the dark imagery of war which made his fortune in The Red Badge Of Courage. Unlike that book, this collection leaves the battlefield itself behind to explore the damage war does to people’s hearts and minds. Reeking of dashed hopes, simultaneously sympathetic with the victims of war and cynical about the purposes of war, Crane implicitly criticizes the image of the romantic hero and asks if Love can survive. 
  The poetic voice is one of an old and wearied soul, stark and disillusioned, which is all the more intriguing since Crane was dead before he reached his 30th birthday. His work calls to mind the Beat Poets of the mid 20th century in its powerful use of language and bleak idiomatic landscape. It is poetry on the cusp of the fin de siècle; echoing the passing age and presaging the newborn century.  (Summary by Chip)

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  The Half-God of Rainfall

  Inua Ellams

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  From the award-winning poet and playwright behind Barber Shop Chronicles, The Half-God of Rainfall is an epic story and a lyrical exploration of pride, power and female revenge. 
  There is something about Demi. When this boy is angry, rain clouds gather. When he cries, rivers burst their banks and the first time he takes a shot on a basketball court, the deities of the land take note. 
  His mother, Modupe, looks on with a mixture of pride and worry. From close encounters, she knows Gods often act like men: the same fragile egos, the same unpredictable fury and the same sense of entitlement to the bodies of mortals. 
  She will sacrifice everything to protect her son, but she knows the Gods will one day tire of sports fans, their fickle allegiances and misdirected prayers. When that moment comes, it won’t matter how special he is. Only the women in Demi’s life, the mothers, daughters and Goddesses, will stand between him and a lightning bolt. 
  Inua Ellams The Half-God of Rainfall is a top-rated short fiction that beautifully combines African mythology, fairy tales, and folk legends. The themes of pride, power, and female revenge are intricately woven into this family-centered narrative. 
  For fans of Eavan Boland (The Historians), Mary Oliver (Winter Hours), S. Andrea Allen (Solace), Stefani Cox (The Stars With You), and Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz (The Peace Chronicles).

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